Machine for cutting off heads of old metal cans.



1To.7s1,509. PATENTED Minn, 1905'."

' Bi E. FBRNOW. v

' MACHINE FORGUTTING on" HEADS OF OLD METALfoANs.

' APPLIULTIOI FILED BERT. 30, 1904. r

No. 781,509. I

.UNIT'ED STATES Patented January 31, 1905.

I BERNHARD E. FERNOVV,

OF ITHAGA, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING OFF HEADS OF OLD METAL CANS- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent N0. 781,509, dated January 31, 1905.

Application filed September 30,1994. I Serial No. 226,700.

,To a whom, it'may concern: 4

. Be it known that I, BERNI-IARD E. FERNOW, acitizen-of the United States, residing at Ithaca, in the county of Tompkins and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Cutting Off the Heads of Old Metal Cans, of which the followthe can and a pair of movable grippers which engage one edge of the body and when drawn rearwardly rotate the can relatively to the cutters, and thereby simultaneously remove the heads and straighten out the body.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of themachine, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of mechanism for closing one of the grippers.

The machine comprises a horizontal bed 1, from the sides of which rise guide-strips 2. A cutter 3, having a hook-shaped knife at its upper end, is secured in a vertical recess at each side of the bed, the knives projecting above the bed and spaced slightly away from the guide-strips 2. Apair of grippers 4:, the

jaws of each of which are pivoted on the ends of a transverse shaft 5, is arranged'to slide on the bed and between the guides 2. Outwardly-projectingpins 6 guide the grippers between the strips 2. The ends of a toggle 7 are pivoted to the rear ends of the handles of each gripper 4.. The inner ends of the arms of each toggle are pivoted on one end of a transverse shaft 8, to the middle of which is secured a rope 9, passing rearwardly and downwardly over a pulley 10, journaled in the bed. A spiral spring 11 is secured at each end to the shafts 5 and 8, which connect the grippers. This spring tends to flex the toggles 7, and thus open the jaws of. the grippers. A pull on the rope 10, overcoming the tension ofspring- 11, straightens the toggles and 5 closes the jaws of the grippers. The grip- I pers may be operated by cams '12 on a rock- .gles. A cord 14: is secured to the middle of the transverse gripper-shaft 5, and thence ex.- tends forwardly and downwardly over a pulley 15, journaled in the bed, and thence rearwardly, the end being secured to one end of a spiral spring 16, the other end of which is fastened to a transverse pin 17 near the rear of the bed. the cord 14, normally retains the jaws of the grippers between the cutters 3. I y

In using the machine the can is placed be tween the guides 2, and the cutters 3 are inserted in the space left by the removal of the side seam or a similar strip. One jaw of each gripper is then inserted into the same space and the toggles 7 are straightened, so that the grippers take afirm hold upon one edge of the can-body. The pair of grippers is now pulled rearwardly by means of rope 9, thereby rotating the can relatively to the cutters 3 and cutting off the heads. The body portion is progressively straightened out as it is drawn 'rearwardly between the cutters and over the bed of the machine.

The squared sheet produced by cutting off the heads may be cleaned and washed and run between rolls to remove any indentations. It may be recoated with tin, if necessary, and is then suitable for use in the manufacture of small cans and for otherpurposes. The side seam portion and the heads may be heated to recover the solder and scrap-iron used for castings. Both the squared sheet and the headsmay be treated by'an electrolyticprocess to separately recover the tin and theiron, if preferred.

The machine which is preferably employed to cut out the side seam or a similar strip from the can-body is shown and claimed in my application Serial No. 168,162,'filed August 4:, 1903.

I claim- 1. A machine for cuttingv off the heads of sheet-metal cans, comprising two spaced outters arranged to enter the ends of the space left by the removal of the side portion of the can, and means for rotating the can relatively to said cutters, as set forth.

This spring 16, acting through v shaft 13, as shown in Fig. 2, instead of by tog:

2. A machine for cutting off the heads of sheet-metal cans, comprising two spaced outters arranged to enter the ends of the space left by the removal of the side portion of the can, said cutters having downwardly and rear- Wardly inclined knife-edges, and means for rotating the can relatively to said cutters, as set forth.

3. A machine for cutting off the heads of sheet-metal cans, comprising cutters arranged to enter the space left by the removal of the side portion of the can, and means for rotating the can relatively to said cutters and progressively straightening out the body portion of the can as the cutters remove the heads, as set forth.

4. A machine for cutting 011' the heads of sheet-metal cans, comprising a bed, a pair of cutters rising from the bed in position to enter the space left by the removal of the side portion of the can, a gripping device to seize one edge of the can-body, and means for ClliMV'. ing said gripping device along the bed, thereby rotating the can relatively to the cutters and cutting off the heads and simultaneously straightening out the body portion, as set forth.

5. A machine for cutting off the heads of sheet-metal cans, comprising a bed, a pair of cutters rising from the bed in position to enter the space left by the removal of the side portion of the can, a gripping device having a pair of jaws arranged to seize the edge of the can-body near said cutters, and means for drawing said gripping device along the bed, thereby rotating the can relatively to the cutters and cutting off the heads and simultaneously straightening out the body portion, as set forth.

6. A machine for cutting off the heads of sheet-metal cans, comprising a bed, a pair of cutters rising from the bed in position to enter the space left by the removal of the side seam of the can, a gripping device having a pair of jaws arranged to seize the edge of the can-body near said cutters, automatic mechanism for operating said jaws, and means for drawing said gripping device along the bed, thereby rotating the can relatively to the cutters and cutting off the heads and simultaneously straightening out the body portion, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BERNHARD E. F ERNOlV.

Witnesses:

EDWARD H. BROWN, JOHN (1. GUDMUNDSEN. 

